Is his best yet to come?
Detroit Pistons coach Flip Saunders looked more refreshed and a little more tan, fitting in well in this relaxed setting, wearing a white golf shirt, designer jeans and black penny loafers.
If Saunders is still carrying the weight of losing to the Miami Heat in the NBA Eastern Conference finals, he was playing it off well at the Las Vegas summer league.

man, I love flip. The insight. The passion.What other coach inspires so much....confidence.

"We didn't get to the Finals because we didn't play good enough," Saunders said. "Basically, we messed up one game. We had a home game our first game against Miami that we lost. Outside of that, we beat Miami by (13 points in Game 5) at our place. The other games, we didn't take care of what we needed to do to take care of home court. But you live and learn."

Flip should have "lived" and "learned" a lot by now considering all his early playoff exits. I don't think this guy EVER wins a title.

"We didn't get to the Finals because we didn't play good enough," Saunders said. "Basically, we messed up one game. We had a home game our first game against Miami that we lost. Outside of that, we beat Miami by (13 points in Game 5) at our place. The other games, we didn't take care of what we needed to do to take care of home court. But you live and learn."

Flip should have "lived" and "learned" a lot by now considering all his early playoff exits. I don't think this guy EVER wins a title.

Oh Flip you're taking this to a whole new level. championship teams win big road games. Sorry buddy, but I have seen no champion in the NBA who won a ship without having to win tough road games in the playoffs.

Flip Saunders: "Losing Ben, there's some areas we're not going to be as good, there's some areas we're going to be better," Saunders said. "I think the thing about it is we're a little bit different where you have a team with four all-star players. It's not like you're taking a guy like Kevin Garnett off of Minnesota, and you don't get anything for him. We weren't a team that was built on one player. This is a team that was built on having a lot of players, all being able to play, and because of that I think it doesn't hurt you as much."

"I'm really not worried at all. I mean, they let Wallace walk, and I'm still here. This year we basically stay the same, but with Ben gone, we throw a little zone in there, win one more game in the Eastern Conference finals, and the Championship is ours!"

Wallace charms Chicago
CHICAGO -- He said he was misunderstood a lot, that he never wanted to take 20 shots per game, that he just wanted to be part of the action at both ends of the floor.

He said it was tough to leave Detroit, where he turned himself into an icon, won a championship and became the face of a franchise.
He said the last week and a half has been difficult, because he's still in Detroit, because he watches the news and reads the papers and knows the city that showered him with love the last six seasons loves him considerably less today.

But mostly, he said it was strange.

And it was.

[MLive.com]​

FULL-COURT PRESS: Ben Wallace press conference notes
The one thing that stuck out to me is that they were class acts. They came in and presented themselves very well. They weren't buying into the fact that the league is changing and you can only win with offensive players. They stressed defense and rebounding. As a basketball player I live by the creed that no one can score without someone rebounding the basketball first. So if you want to be a great scoring team you're going to need rebounders. That's what I bring to the table.

Saunders audio notes: we could be better without Ben
We'll be different in some areas, and I think we'll be better in some areas. Prince is developing into a go-to type player. Delfino, with not having the rift between he and Mo Evans, will not have to worry about having an opportunity. You look back to last season and many of our best fourth quarters was when McDyess was on the court with Rasheed. I think McDyess will get more playing time and push himself to become the All-Star type player he was like five or six years ago.

He was protected to the max in that lineup with the multitude of offensive players surrounding him. Now he has a young inconsistent team with a volatile coach in Scott Skiles to protect his weaknesses every night.

I know Pistons coach Flip Saunders can’t wait to see those weaknesses exploited, thus proving to everyone why he couldn’t play Wallace consistently against certain teams down the stretch of the season and during the playoffs.

Understand I am not a Wallace-basher. I think he is one of the hardest workers in the league, but there is a reason why... He has no choice. If Wallace didn’t work hard, he would be out the league.

He can’t shoot from outside three feet, he has no post moves, he is an adequate passer at best and he is a horrible free-throw shooter. Wallace's attributes are great weak-side defense and tenacious rebounding.

But understand this warning... If Tyrus Thomas can’t defend the ball in the post like Rasheed did in Detroit allowing Wallace to roam, then he will likely be inconsistent and stay in foul trouble – in the end, not paying the dividends they are expecting.

Ben Wallace set to appear in a press conference announcing his decision to sign with the Bulls, but Mitch Albom won't be tuning in.
A lot of people have pointed to the recent NBA Playoffs as proof that the league is starting to favor offensive-minded teams. It was obvious to anyone that actually watched the [...]

A person within the Pistons organization confirmed Friday that the team will introduce Murray, a guard, alongside Ben Wallace's stand-in, center Nazr Mohammed, at a press conference next week.

Terms of the deal could not be confirmed, but it is almost certain Murray will accept the team's biennial exception, a $1.75-million salary slot for teams over the league's salary cap to spend every second year on the free agent market.

[MLive.com]​

A. SHERROD BLAKELY: Another Flip to the D
Flip Murray has agreed to a two-year deal with the Pistons, starting at $1.7 million for this upcoming season. He will be play behind Chauncey Billups, and at times, can be used as a backup to Richard Hamilton as well.

Although Murray, who was with the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, struggled in the playoffs against the Pistons, he seems to be the kind of change-of-pace guard Joe Dumars said he was looking for.

Wallace benefits by getting more money up front, and the structure of the deal helps the Bulls absorb contract extensions to Kirk Hinrich, Andres Nocioni, Ben Gordon and Luol Deng in the coming seasons.

RICK KAMLA: Living Las Vegas
.... If you’re anything like me, you were watching the second round of the 2006 NBA Draft wondering what the Pistons were doing when they traded Maurice Evans to the Lakers for the draft rights to center Cheikh Samb (pronounced Check). Well, I’m here to say that Joe Dumars and his staff may have unearthed a legitimate player from the Senegal with the 51st overall pick.

Samb goes 7-1, 195, which is a good news-bad news scenario, but the 21-year-old with exactly one year of professional experience can play the game on both ends. Samb closed the VSL with his best game of the tourney, dropping 10 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks on the Celtics.

All five of Samb’s field goals came on baseline jumpers, including a pretty 15-foot fadeaway and a clutch J late in the fourth quarter. Samb finished the VSL with averages of 7.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks, and he opened a lot of eyes in the process.

Yes, he needs to live in an Italian restaurant for the next two years, eating nothing but pasta drenched in cream sauce, and yes, the Pistons could probably save on air fare by faxing him back to Detroit, but I saw the birth of a future shot-blocking freak at the 2006 Toshiba Vegas Summer League.

[Detroit Free Press]​

Maxiell, Acker make progress for Pistons
Maxiell dropped 15 pounds before camp opened by cutting junk food, bread and other carbs out of his diet. He did so without any specific orders from the Pistons; he simply wanted to better his game, get quicker, jump higher and prove he might help fill the void that Ben Wallace left when he split for Chicago.

Hammond said Maxiell, like the other young players, still has more work to do before he can be assured playing time. One big key for him in particular will be free-throw shooting. He struggled last season when he did get playing time, and he wasn't any better in Vegas, averaging 44.4%.

But he took a small step toward improvement in the final game, Friday's loss to Boston, when he shot 9-for-12 from the line.

"I shot 20 more free throws at practice the day before," he said. "I need to keep working on that this summer, and I plan on doing that."

Acker isn't even assured a roster spot, much less playing time, but he made a strong case for himself in Vegas. He averaged 18.4 points (but shot 36.4%) and played his natural position of shooting guard after a year of trying to play point guard.

"We needed to replace a point guard last year, and we put him into an unfair position," Hammond said. "But we needed that, and he fulfilled the role. But he's much more comfortable at the two."

That move alone seemed to liberate Acker, who has received a qualifying offer from the Pistons and is a restricted free agent. But after agreeing to a two-year deal with free agent guard Ronald (Flip) Murray, the Pistons might not have room for him on their roster, no matter how much the team likes him.

MLN Newswire - Newark, NJ. The ABA Newark Express are proud to name Ron Moore as Head Coach. Ron grew up in Brooklyn, NY where he attended Thomas Jefferson HS and became an All City player. He then attended West Virginia State University. While there, he became an All Conference and All American player. Ron was drafted by the New York Knicks in 1987 and then traded to the Detroit Pistons, playing there from 1987 to 1989. Ron played for the Phoenix Suns from 1989-1990 before continuing his professional playing career in Europe, playing in France, Switzerland, Greece and Argentina.

AUBURN HILLS -- When Rasheed Wallace or one of his Detroit Pistons teammates cracked jokes during training camp last year, chances were pretty good that, at some point, they would be directed at Ronald Dupree.

The 6-foot-7 forward was well-liked by his teammates in Detroit.

Apparently, the Pistons front office also feels pretty good about him because Dupree is back in Detroit, with a two-year contract that includes a player option after next season.

[Sun-Sentinel]
​

The Game of Catering to Rich
To pump up revenue, pro sports franchises and facilities create new spaces and ways to pamper those in the elite seats
By Greg Johnson

The Detroit Pistons converted storage lockers beneath the stands at the Palace of Auburn Hills and built "bunker suites" there. Although patrons can't see the live action from these suites, it's a short walk between the suites that resemble private clubs and courtside seats. The suites lease for more than $350,000 a year.

Interesting take on the earnings from facilities. The Palace of course is an anamoly in American sports because it was built with 100% private money (no help from the municipality), and at the time it opened, was one of the most revolutionary arena designs. Rumour has it that when new arenas are built, architects and marketers pick the brain of the Palace front office for tips and ideas to improve upon the original "modern arena".

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the club has signed center Nazr Mohammed to a multi-year contract. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

For someone who grew up idolizing Michael Jordan, one would at least think that Jason Maxiell’s game would possess a little finesse and grace. Not so for the second-year Pistons forward who’s becoming known for his rim-rattling dunks and physical play.

“I just love to play aggressive,” said Maxiell. “I only know how to play hard and I love to attack the rim.”

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the club has signed guard Ronald “Flip” Murray to a multi-year contract. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.